While X-Men ‘97 graces our screens with its sophomore season, this is not the only show in which our favorite mutants were rendered in animated form. From Saturday morning nostalgia to prestige streaming revivals, each series has taken a different swing at translating Marvel’s most beloved found family into cartoon form.
The conversation feels especially timely right now because of X-Men ‘97 season 2, but does the revival rank among the top of other animated offerings? The list ranks the animated shows featuring the X-Men in terms of storytelling, animation quality, narrative ambition, and cultural footprint. Here are all the animated X-Men shows, ranked.
5. Marvel Anime: X-Men
The collaboration between Marvel and the Japanese animation studio Madhouse gave us many anime versions of our favorite Marvel heroes and teams. From Blade to Wolverine, everyone got an anime version. Marvel Anime: X-Men followed the X-Men in Japan as they protect a mutant named Armor from the U-Men, who are harvesting organs of mutants.
On paper, the concept is pretty exciting, and giving it the anime treatment had all the hype. In practice, however, the show never really took off beyond it. It had limited potential in terms of emotional investment and narrative ambition, with only 12 short episodes. It is a nice concept, but it ranks last because it never made the cultural imprint it should have.
4. Wolverine and the X-Men
The 26-episode series was canceled after only one season and aired before Disney acquired Marvel. It saw the assembly of a fractured X-Men after the disappearance of Professor X and Wolverine leading the team. It had some ambitious storytelling, taking on time-travel and dealing with some mature themes. The voice work was also amazing.
However, it never reached its potential due to its release order and the cancellation. The low ranking is not a reflection of its quality. It is actually quite good. But it deserved to be something else, and its timing messed it up.
3. X-Men: Evolution
This series took a bold swing by reimagining the X-Men as teenagers navigating both superpowers and high school, trading the source comics’ adult ensemble for a coming-of-age lens. It worked better than skeptics expected, giving characters like Rogue, Kitty Pryde, and Nightcrawler room to grow up on screen across four seasons.
The show’s willingness to deviate from canon frustrated purists, but its confident tonal identity, likable young cast, and genuine emotional arcs earned it lasting affection. It sits comfortably in the middle of the pack: inventive and heartfelt, if less iconic than the shows that bookend it.
2. X-Men ‘97
Beau DeMayo’s revival of the iconic animated series took off right where we left off in 1997, and it was incredible. It received near-universal acclaim for its animation, vocal performance, and storyline. The Battle of Genosha remains one of the best things to ever be made in animation. The second season premiered earlier this month on July 1, 2026.
It falls short of the top only because of one thing: respect for the original. Gorgeous animation upgrades, mature themes tackled with real nuance, and a screenwriting team unafraid of major character consequences make this the best-reviewed X-Men animation ever produced.
1. X-Men: The Animated Series
The original X-Men: The Animated Series introduced the mainstream world to iconic characters like Professor X, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Gambit. It perfectly captured the energy of the franchise and did not hesitate to get political, even in the ‘90s. Adapting sprawling comic sagas like the Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past with surprising faithfulness, it balanced blockbuster action with genuine pathos about prejudice and found family.
Its influence radiates through every entry on this list, including its own direct sequel. Imperfect animation and dated production values aside, its cultural footprint, emotional resonance, and sheer nostalgic power make it the definitive animated X-Men series.
| Rank | Show Name | IMDb (as of July 8, 2026) |
| 1 | X-Men: The Animated Series | 8.4/10 |
| 2 | X-Men ‘97 | 8.7/10 |
| 3 | X-Men: Evolution | 7.8/10 |
| 4 | Wolverine and the X-Men | 8.0/10 |
| 5 | Marvel Anime: X-Men | 6.7/10 |
Which animated X-Men show do you like the best? Comment below.
